Christmas Spirit!

Tree Shoppers Head Into The Greenhouse!

Nothing like a trip to Janoski's Greenhouse to get in the Christmas spirit!  LFLF went out today & got pointsettias for home & the office.  Never satisfied with the standard red, we always make it a point to get some of the "different" bract colors & forms.  We got a variety new to us this year & after a bit of poking around, it appears to be "Primero Glitter" by Ecke.   Ecke is THE premier pointsettia breeder & many growers get their cuttings from Ecke to grow out.  Don't be alarmed ... this pointsettia went into the yellow painted powder room, so it's not out in the middle of the traditional Christmas settings!

A Look Across The Greenhouse!

Of course we got a more traditional large 3 color red, white, & pink pot for our "feature" pointsettia!

Last Day For Wreaths!

Snapping Up The Wreaths & Swags!

Today was the last day for wreaths & swags at the Beaver Farmers' Market.  The Volkar family had their usual great selection & this makes for the largest single purchase LFLF makes all year at the markets!  We went directly to a cemetary after market & saw another market customer placing the wreath that she just bought .....

Wiring Wreaths To Easels ..... Something For Everyone!

 Next week will be the last day for the season & the last chance to get some of Pat's Pastries!  The featured items are mixed holiday cookie platters, although she sold out of the small containers by 11AM.

Pat's Pastries All Bundled Up!

It was cold, but we'll take the sunshine at this time of year!

Time For Greens!

Wreaths, greens, trees, & roping!

A little side trip north of Pittsburgh got LFLF an opportunity to go past Soergel Orchards & a chance to look over some Christmas greens.  There wasn't a type of wreath or roping that wasn't there ......

Sprays of Holly Berries

We always decorate with live greens, some gathered on our own farm, & the rest from local nurseries & tree farms.  Several of the local farms bring in plant materials from other states too to add to their own hand crafted wreaths & swags.  A couple of weeks ago, we were at Musser Forests in Indiana, PA & they were just starting on their wreaths.  The smell in the garden center greenhouse was great!
And ..... there are still local greens available if you visit the markets! 

Beaver Farmers' Market Still Open!

Last Day - Make That December 17th!

The official last day of the Beaver Farmers' Market is Saturday December 17th, despite what the sign says!  :)

Our Favorite New Variety - Speckled Hound!

Still lots of produce left ----- LFLF loved the descriptions of the various winter squashes.  Double click on the picture to read the information .......
Don't forget to get your Holiday greenery, wreaths, & swags at the market!

Buy Local At Standing Chimney!

Luke - The Welcoming Committee At Standing Chimney!

Today LFLF took a short road trip into adjoining Lawrence County & arrived at  Standing Chimney , "in the middle of nowhere ... on the way to everywhere".  We saw their ad in the October/November edition of Edible Allegheny  & decided to pay a visit & do some shopping.

Felting From Standing Chimney's Own Icelandic Sheep Wool!  

The shop is a few minutes off of I376 near New Galilee, PA and focuses on local artisans, bakers, & candle stick makers!  :)  Let's just say that there was something for everyone here. 

Examples?  Wood cutting boards, hand carved walking sticks, alpaca yarns, felt, & rovings, tole painting, embroidered towels, locker hooked runners, placemats & coasters .....  Soaps, hand creams, greeting cards, fresh rose hip sprays, handmade jewelry, fresh pine wreaths & roping, apple cider, shadow boxes, candles, birdhouses, hand thrown pottery pieces ..... just too much stuff to list & most of it is very local according to shop owner Beth. 

Local Sauces & Standing Chimney Brand Dry Rubs

We left with a stash of baked goods & some of the BBQ Dry Rub for meats, plus an embroidered towel for a Thanksgiving hostess gift.  There were lots of goodies for all of the foodies on your gift list & a sign on the freezer promised "Pierogies inside - just ask"! 

Stop out next Friday 11/25 - Saturday 11/26 or Friday 12/2 - Saturday 12/3 & buy local!    

It's Time For Fall Foods!

Beaver Farmers' Market

It's time for all of the fall & winter comfort foods.  There were cabbages, all kinds of squash, potatoes, turnips, peppers, beets, apples, cauliflower, greens, horseradish, leeks, and on and on and on today!

Oak Spring Farm Cabbages

The number of vendors drops, but the variety of goods is still fantastic!  LFLF bought a couple of leeks today.  We've never cooked with leeks, so this will be an opportunity to try something new.  Funny, the farmer said that they've never used leeks either, but that they sell a ton of them each fall!  We didn't get any of these, but the turnips were in plentiful supply too ......

So, our haul today included Buffalo Chip cookies, potatoes, leeks, ground beef, Butter cheese, fudge, & Melrose apples.   The last 3 gallons of apple cider got snapped up by the time we made it around the rest of the market!  :(

Golden Cauliflower!

Golden Orange Cauliflower!

LFLF waited too long to pick up one of 2 golden cauliflowers at the Beaver Farmers' Market on Saturday.
We snapped the picture, but a customer picked it up just after this shot was taken ..... well, we got a regular one instead. 
The weather turned really nice for the weekend and the farmers had all shifted down to one side of the parking lot, now that there are fewer of them at market.  The last day for the Beaver market is December 17th.  Hopefully market days will be sunny even if they're cold.
This weekend's stash included apple cider, pizzelles, sweet potatoes, onions, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, & fudge for Mr. LFLF.  There were still some tomatoes, but I don't know how much longer they'll be around.